As the world celebrates the International Tiger Day on Monday, PM Modi released the findings of the All India Tiger Estimation, 2018. Tigers in the country have witnessed a 33% rise in population since 2014. Currently, the country has a total of 2,967 tigers, a significant increase from 2,226 tigers in 2014.
Releasing the results of All India Tiger Estimation. #InternationalTigerDay https://t.co/b73ADzson4
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 29, 2019
In 2010, at the St. Petersberg Tiger Summit it was decided that the target of doubling the tiger population would be 2022. PM Modi has announced that the country achieved the target four years early.
The results of the just declared tiger census would make every Indian, every nature lover happy.
Nine long years ago, it was decided in St. Petersburg that the target of doubling the tiger population would be 2022. We in India completed this target four years early: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 29, 2019
As per reports, Madhya Pradesh saw the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka at 524 and Uttarakhand at number 3 with 442 tigers. A decline was observed at Chhattisgarh and Mizoram. The population remained constant in Odisha.
While announcing the results, the Prime Minister had also said that the country would strike a healthy balance between development and the environment. He said, “India will build more homes for our citizens and at the same time create quality habitats for animals. India will have a vibrant marine economy and healthier marine ecology. This balance is what will contribute to a strong and inclusive India,”
I am confident that:
India will prosper both economically and environmentally.
India will build more roads and India will have cleaner rivers.
India will have better train connectivity and also greater tree coverage: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 29, 2019
India’s Tiger Census is widely regarded as the World’s largest wildlife survey. Started in 2006, the census is taken after every four years. For the 2018 census, the northeastern states, which had not seen proper coverage in the past few years were scanned vigorously this time.
Eliminating the risk of human error, this time, forest officials have used an indigenously developed mobile App M-STRiPES (monitoring system for tigers-intensive protection and ecological status) developed by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. The app significantly increases the intensity, coverage and accuracy of sampling.
The 2018 tiger census was one of the biggest, widest and most organised wildlife census events in the world. It had employed over 40,000 forest guards and independent biologists, 15,000 camera traps and has scanned forest area measuring over 400,000 square metres.
